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Bleeding Heart
Lamprocapnos spectabilis
Bleeding Heart blooms from April through June.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Bleeding Heart
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 2.3 ft tall and 2 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Bleeding Heart
Plant Bleeding Heart in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from April to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Comes in 5 varieties across 3 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Bleeding Heart
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Every part holds isoquinoline alkaloids and is mildly toxic to people, cats and dogs if eaten. The sap can irritate skin, so handle it with gloves. per NC State and Penn State
Worth knowing
After it blooms, the whole plant yellows and dies back to the ground by midsummer, then returns from the roots next spring. Do not assume it has died. per NC State and Penn State
Sources differ on soil pH
NC State says neutral to alkaline (pH 6.0 up), Penn State slightly acidic to neutral (6.0 to 7.0). They overlap near neutral; drainage and steady moisture matter far more. per NC State and Penn State
Fill the summer gap
Site it among later-emerging shade companions that grow in as it fades: hostas, ferns, astilbe, hardy geranium and heuchera. Or drop annual impatiens over the spot. per Wisconsin and Penn State
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits reliably leave it alone. The same toxic alkaloids that make every part poisonous also make the foliage unpalatable to browsers. per NC State and Penn State
Native relatives skip dormancy
Dislike the disappearing act? The native fringed and Pacific bleeding hearts (Dicentra eximia, Dicentra formosa) stay smaller (around 0.3 m), bloom far longer, and keep their foliage all season. per Wisconsin and Clemson
Modest pollinator draw
The spring flowers feed bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, but the nectar sits in spurs mainly long-tongued bumblebees can reach, so it is a specialist forage rather than a magnet. per Clemson and NC State
What pairs well with Bleeding Heart
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Cardinal Flower
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Camellia
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in midwinter, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Summersweet
Shares part shade and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Northern Sea Oats
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Hellebore
Shares part shade and moderate water; opens in late winter and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; echoes the pink.
Witch Hazel
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; taller at 9.8 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Goatsbeard
Shares part shade and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into midsummer; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it; a soft color beside the pink.
Climbing Hydrangea
Shares part shade and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into midsummer; a soft color beside the pink.
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